Family Time: How to pick the right college

Tuesday

Feb 18, 2014 at 1:01 AM

Tip of the WeekSelecting the right college means not only choosing where you’ll live for the next four years, but finding the best fit for your personality, interests and your family’s financial situation. It’s often one of the biggest decisions many teens have ever faced. If you’re considering several colleges, the best way to compare them is to make a list of the things that are most important to you and see how each school stacks up. You might include proximity to home, athletics or arts programs, campus size, etc. When listing pros and cons, consider cost, academics, social life and the impact it will have on your future career.- Consider costsAccording to the most recent Annual Survey of Colleges by the College Board, students attending a four-year college in their own state will spend an average of $17,860 on tuition, fees and room and board during the 2012-13 academic year. The average price tag jumps to $39,518 per year for a private four-year college.To cover the costs, parents and students may need to consider student loans, financial aid and scholarships. You can get a list of available scholarships from your high school guidance counselor as well as the colleges and universities you want to attend. It’s important to start your scholarship search early and look at all possible sources. - Rank your prioritiesCost may be one of the biggest factors when choosing the right college, but there are many things to consider while researching each prospective school. Though some people judge a school solely on published college rankings, it may be more important to find the rank of specific departments within those schools. A top medical school or culinary program could be part of a school that doesn’t have a high overall ranking. Assessing what you value most in an educational program will help put you on the path to success.- Narrow down top choicesPlan a few campus visits to get a feel for campus size, dorm life, the school’s resources and how helpful school staff will be. Finally, make sure any scholarship you might be awarded can be used at the schools you have on your short list. If you find yourself overwhelmed by all of the choices, just make the best decision you can with the information you have. Many students change majors during their college days. What may be the best fit academically now can change as quickly as what you want to be when you graduate. - Family Features/Forester’s Competitive ScholarshipsFamily Movie Night“RoboCop”Rated: PG-13Length: 108 minutesSynopsis: In 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) - a loving husband, father and good cop - is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer. This is a remake of the cult classic.Violence/scary rating: 4Sexual-content rating: 2Profanity rating: 3Drugs/alcohol rating: 2Family Time rating: 3.5. This is like many other recent PG-13 superhero movies - basically OK, but there is a lot of violence. (Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being “bad for kids” and 1 being “fine for kids.”)Book Report“I am Abraham Lincoln,” by Brad Meltzer (author), Christopher Eliopoulos (illustrator)Ages: 5-8Pages: 40Synopsis: We can all be heroes. That’s the inspiring message of this lively, collectible picture book biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. “Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it,” Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to biography – for his own kids, and for yours. Each book tells the story of one of America’s icons in an entertaining, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers, those who aren’t quite ready for the Who Was series. Each book focuses on a particular character trait that made that role model heroic. For example, Abraham Lincoln always spoke up about fairness, and thus he led the country to abolish slavery. This book follows him from childhood to the presidency, including the Civil War and his legendary Gettysburg Address. - DialDid You KnowGraco is recalling about 3.7 million car seats because of a potential problem with the red harness release button. If food or drink gets in the device, it can be hard to use, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says is dangerous in an emergency.